de croes



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

0. DE CROES.

' VOTING MACHINE.

No. 594,986. Patented Dec, 7,1897.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. DE OROES. VOTING MACHINE.

No. 594,986. Patented Dec.7,1897.

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C. DE GROES.

VOTING MACHINE. No. 594,986. Patented 1160.7,1897.

W TNESSES INVENTO R I ZM WM CYemmfDe Croes, 22/49. fizz PB Atlamey m:uonms Pawns co. FNOYO-LITHO, WASNWG uuuuuu c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

CLEMENT DE OROES, OF IVESTPORT, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMASKETCIIUM, OF SAME PLACE.

-VOTlNG-MACHINE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.594,986, dated December 7, 1897.

Application filed January 11, 1897. Serial No. 618,719. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT DE CRoEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at WVestport, in the county of Decatur and State 5 of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic RegisterVoting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention has reference to a novel construction in a machine forregistering votes; and it consists in the features of construc- I tionhereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accord 2o ancewith this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 4 is a front view with the frontportion of the casing removed, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are fragmentaryde- 2 5 tail views that will be understood in connection with thefollowing description.

It will be understood, of course, that although in the accompanyingdrawings I have shown a machine capable of holding four tickets orballots, with four names on each ballot, yet the machine can beincreased in capacity to any desired number of ballots and with anynumber of names on each ballot, as is obvious. The machine is soconstructed that an entire ticket can be voted for or differentcandidates may be selected from each ticket and voted for. The machineis also provided with devices so arranged that when a vote is first castfor the entire ticket another vote cannot be cast either for a ticket orfor an individual candidate. The parts are also further arranged that ifany particular candidate is selected and voted for the operation of themachine in registering this vote throws the parts into such a positionthat neither an entire ticket can be voted subsequently nor can anothervote be cast for a candidate for the same office.

In said drawings the machine is shown as an entirety-that is to say,without the surrounding booth, although it is understood that eachmachine can have a booth which incloses the same, so that the vote canbe cast secretly.

Referring now to said drawings, 1 indicates the casing of the machine,the front piece of which is provided with a plurality of upright guides2 to receive pieces of glass 3, behind which the ticket is placed. Theseguides are formed between the strips 4, and these strips are providedwith a plurality of openings 5 and a corresponding number of keyholes 6,set opposite each opening. The openings are to show the number of votesand are closed by means of the sliding plates '7, which, if foundconvenient, may be suitably locked in position, to be removed only bythe judges of election or other persons in authority. The keyholes 6 areadapted to stand opposite the names of the different candidates upon theticket exposed between the upright strips 4:. In the rear of the strips4: are the posts 8, on the outer faces of which are a plurality ofprojections or heads 9 to receive and hold the key which is used tooperate the machine.

I will now proceed to describe the devices for registering the differentvotes.

Adjacent to the post 8 are other posts 10, while in the rear of theseposts 8 and 10 are other posts 11. Mounted upon the said posts abovementioned are the rollers 12, corresponding in number to the keyholes,and around which are trained the bands 13. These bands are provided withnumbers running to any desired figure, and the band is adapted to beturned by the movement of the forward rollers. The said forward rollers12 are provided at one end with the crown-wheels 1e, situated inposition to be engaged by the blade of a key 15. Thus it is seen thatwhen the key is inserted and turned the blade thereof will cause theadjacent roller to turn, and the parts are so arranged that when the keyis moved past the crown-wheel the roller turns to an extent suflicientto move the band a space to bring the next succeeding number oppositethe opening 5.

In front of the casing 1 is a movable platform 16, upon which the personmust stand to register a vote-that is to say, this plat form is pivotedand is held normally in an elevated position by the spring 17. Thisplatform is connected with the upright parts of the device, so that whenit is lifted it moves the parts into such-a position that a key cannotbe inserted within any of the keyholes for the purpose of registering avote. In the particular construction illustrated said platform isprovided with two rearwardly-extending arms 18, pivoted at their rearends to the easing of the machine and connected by means ofupwardly-extending rods or chains 19 with the pivoted lever 20 near theupper end of the casing. The forward ends of the pivoted lever 20 areforked or notched, as shown at 21, to receive the ends of the mainoperatingbar 22. The said bar 22 rests within the forks or notches ofthe lever and is capable of alongitudinal movement with relationthereto, as seen. The said main operating-bar 22 is employed forcovering or protecting the pin 9, by which the entire ticket isregistered or voted, and in the lower edge of said bar are a pluralityof notches 23 to receive the blade of the key. The parts are soarranged, however, that when the platform is elevated the ends of thelever are depressed, and therefore the lower edge of the bar, or theportion adjacent this slot, rests upon the pin 9. To register this vote,it is necessary that the key should pass inward until it strikes againstthe post 8, and it is seen, therefore, that the edge of this bar restingupon the pin will prevent the insertion of the key far enough to allowthe blade to reach the crown-wheel of the registering-roller. Itwill beseen also that upon depressing the platform the said bar 22 is raised sothat the head or pin 9 is exposed to allow the key to be inserted, sothat it can operate the crownavheel. In registering a vote for theentire ticket the key is turned to the left, and it first engages atooth of the crownwheel, and then the key strikes the side of the notch23 and moves the main operatingbar 22 to the left. This has the effect,as will be hereinafter explained, to close the remaining keyholes notonly for the entire ticket, but for the individuals. To close thekeyholes of the entire ticket by thus registering one vote, the said baris provided with downwardly-extending fingers 2st on the side of thenotch which when the bar is moved to the left, as shown, moves forwardand stands next to the key, so that an attempt to rotate the key asecond time or to insert it in any of the other keyholes for anotherattempt to rotate the same will be prevented by the contact of the bladeof the key with this finger. It will be noted that it is also impossibleto return the key to its first position and diminish the numberregistered, for in turning the key to the left thelongitudinally-movable baris moved until the projections 31 of the frame30 enter the notches or depressions in the longitudinal bar, which willbe described hereinafter. The said operating-bar cannot be moved to itsoriginal position until the voter leaves the platform, since only theupward movement of the platform permits and causes the parts to returnto their normal position. The said bar is returned to its normalposition by means of a spring-pressed follower 25. This follower is setwithin a chamber 26 at one side of the easing and is provided withsprings 27. .Vithin the casing is a bell-crank lever 28, having one endconnected with the follower 25, while its other end is connected withthe end of the lever 20. In this way it is seen that when the end of thelever is raised by the depression of the platform the follower is movedto the rear against the action of the spring 27. The main operating-baris provided with a shoulder 29, situated within the path of the follower25. It will be noticed, therefore, that when the bar is raised the saidfollower is moved to one side, and consequently that the bar is moved tothe left by the key, and that when the platform is allowed to assume itsnormal position the return movement of the follower 25, by reason of theengagement between said follower and the shoulder 29, will move theupright bar to the right again, or to its normal posi tion.

I will now proceed to describe the devices for registering theindividual vote upon each ticket.

Mounted in upright guides just behind the front piece of the casing andbehind the bar 22 is a rectangular form 30. This frame extends from thebottom almost to the top of the machine and is provided at its uppercorners with forward projections 31, that normally rest upon the upperedge of the operating-bar 22. In this way it seen that when theoperating-bar is raised this frame is raised likewise. There is adepression or notch 32 in the upper edge of the main operating-baradjacent the point upon which these projections rest to allow the frameto fall when the bar 22 is moved longitudinally that is to say, when thebar and the frame are in an elevated position. The sides of the frameare provided with guides to receive a plurality oflongitudinally-movable bars 33. These bars 33 are situated opposite eachset of rollers and are movable in an upright direction with theframe,while they are adapted to be moved longitudinally by the key. Eachone of the bars is provided with a notch 3t and is situated opposite thehead or pin 9 for the keys. hen the frame is at the lower limit of itsmovement, the said bars stand opposite the ends of the pins to preventthe insertion of the keys; but when the frame is raised by theoperating-bar all of these bars 33 are raised also and the ends of thehem s of pins 9 are exposed, so that the key can be inserted to beturned and cause the rotation of the adjacent roller and thelongitudinal movement of the bar Itis noted, of course, that in thisposition the follower 25 is contracted, so that the bar 33 can movelongitudinally. It is obvious, further, that the longitudinal movementof the bar 33 moves the other notches 34 of said bars into position, sothat one side of the same will stand in the path of the blade of the keyto prevent the insertion and turning of the key in any one of thekeyholes for moving this bar. The movement of any one of the bars 33serves, further, to prevent the insertion of the key in any of thekeyholes for moving the main operating-bar 22. This constructioncomprises a sliding plate 35 at the upper end of the easing, which isprovided witha slot 36, having a finger 37. This plate 35 is providedwith a downwardly-projecting arm 38, that lies flat against the endpiece of the frame 30, and when the follower is retracted by thedepression of the platform it is seen that this arm 36 is moved by thelongitudinal movement of the bar 33, and consequently slides the plate35 to one side and brings the finger 37 across the keyhole. It isobvious that the other bars 33 can be moved by the key by the insertionthereof in any of the keyholes for this purpose. The said mainoperating-bar 22, the frame 30, and the sliding plate 35 all move bygravity, it being noted that in a larger machine they possess sufficientweight to carry out this operation.

I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the machine is usedto register votes.

The different tickets exposed are marked a, Z), c, and d, beginning fromthe left. If the voter desires to vote any one of the tickets in itsentirety, he steps upon the platform, which raises the lever 20 andretracts the follower 25. The upward movement of the operating-barcaused by the elevation of the levers raises the frame 30, and thus allthe keyholes are open for the reception of the key. The voter thenplaces the key, for instance, in the upper keyhole at the left of ticketa and turns the key to the left. This has the effect of turning theroller a sufficient distance to bring the next number upon the band inposition behind the opening 5, while at the same time it strikes againstthe side of the notch 23 in the bar 22 and moves this bar to the left.The movement of the bar to the left carries the shoulders 29 of the bar22 from beneath the projections 31 of the rectangular frame, and thisallows this rectangular frame to fall, which has the effect of movingthe bars 33, carried thereby, over the end of the heads of pins 9. Thevoter then withdraws the key, and it is obvious that he cannot place itin any other keyhole of the machine, since he is prevented from turningit within an upper keyhole by reason of the fingers 24 of the bar 22 andby reason of the fact that the bars 33 stand over the end of the headsof pins 9 in their keyholes. lVhen the voter steps off the platform, thelatter rises and permits the bar 22 to fall, while it allows thefollower to move back in place. The follower consequently engages theshoulder 29 of the bar 22 and moves it to the rightto bring the upperedge thereof below the projections 31 of the frame 30. If the voter doesnot care to vote the straight ticket, as it is called, but, forinstance, should desire to vote for one candidate upon each of thesetickets, providing, of course, that none of the different candidates arefor the same office, he does not place the key in the upper keyhole, butwill proceed in the following manner. .Ve will suppose he desires tovote for the first candidate in ticket 0, the second in. ticket I), thethird in ticket 0, and the fourth in ticket (I. He first places the keyin the second keyhole adjacent ticket a, and by turning the key to theleft he turns the roller and the band and then moves the upper bar 33 tothe left. This not only has the effect of moving the bars to the left,so that the notches 34: therein prevent the turning of the key withinthe keyhole, so that the candidates for the same office on the othertickets cannot be voted for, but the movement of this bar longitudinallymoves the arm 38 and sliding plate 35 to the left and moves the finger37 of the sliding plate across the upper keyhole, and this prevents theinsertion of the key therein. Then the voter may remove the key and votefor any other candidate in the other tickets by inserting the keyrespectivelyin the third, fourth, and fifthkeyholes opposite tickets 1),c, and d. It will be seen, further, that the stops upon the posts 8 and10 prevent the upward movement of the bars 33 and also that when thevoter steps off the platform the returning follower strikes against thearm 38 and moves the bars to their longitudinal position. It is noted,of course, that when the lower keyholes are used the operating-bar 22 isnot used.

The casing can be locked in such a manner that it is inaccessible exceptto authorized persons and can be made to accommodate any number oftickets or candidates upon each ticket, as found most convenient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a registering-machine, a casing having openings and keyholestherein, a longitudinallysliding bar situated adjacent said keyhole,notches and fingers at the lower edge of said bar, and a movableplatform in front of said casing and connected with said bar for movingthe same.

2. In a registering-machine, a casing hav ing a front piece providedwith a plurality of keyholes and openings, rollers situated adjacentsaid keyholes and provided with bands and toothed wheels,longitudinally-movable bars situated adjacent said keyholes, heads orpins opposite said keyhole and a movable platform connected with saidoperating-bars for elevating the same.

3. In a registering machine, a casing provided with a plurality ofkeyholes and open ings, rollers situated adjacent said keyholes andprovided with bands and toothed wheels, longitudinally-movable barssituated adjacent said keyholes and provided with notches 5s ees attheir lower edges, heads or pins situated opposite said keyholes, and amovable platform connected with said operating-bars for raising thesame.

4. In a registering-machine, a casing pro vided with a plurality ofkcyholes and openings, rollers situated adjacent said keyholes andprovided with bands and toothed wheels, a main operating-bar situatedadjacent the upper set of keyholes and provided adjacent said keyholeswith notches and fingers, aconnection between said main operating-barand a plurality of operating-bars for raising the latter by the movementof the former, and a movable platform connected with said operating-barfor raising the same.

5. In a registering-machine, a casing provided with a plurality ofkeyholes and openings, rollers situated adjacent said keyholes andprovided with bands and toothed wheels, at longitudinally-movable mainoperating-bar situated adjacent to the upper sets of keyholes andprovided with notches adjacent said keyholes, depressions in the upperedge of said main operating-bar, a movable platform connected with saidoperating-bar for raising the same, a frame having projections restingupon the upper edge of said main operating-bar adjacent saiddepressions, a plurality of guides situated in said frame and providedwith notches adjacent the lower sets of keyholes and heads or pinsopposite said keyholes.

G. In a registering-machine, a casing pro vided with a plurality ofkeyholes and openings, heads or pins opposite said keyholes, alongitudinally-movable main operatingbar adjacent the upper sets ofkeyholes and provided with depressions in its upper edge and with ashoulder and notches in its lower edge, a movable spring-pressedplatform in front of said casing connected with said main operating-barfor lifting the same, and a springpressed follower for moving saidoperatingbar longitudinally, connected with said movable platform.

7. In a registering-machine, acasing provided with a plurality ofkeyholes, heads or pins opposite said keyholes, a longitudinallymovableoperating-bar adjacent the upper sets of keyholes and provided withnotches at its lower edge adjacent said keyhole, a movablespring-pressed platform for lifting said operatirig-platform, aplurality of longitudinally-movable bars carried by a frame connectedwith said operating-bar, notches in said bars situated adjacent thelower sets of keyholes, a sliding plate situated adjacent saidoperating-bar and provided with fingers adjacent said notches therein, adonuiwardlyextending arm upon said sliding plate situated over the endof said frame and over the ends of said bars, and a spring-pressedfollower situated opposite the said arm and a shoulder on saidoperating-bar and connected with said movable platform.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribin g witnesses.

CLEMENT DE CROES.

-fv'itnessesc Fnsros GIDDINGS, SANFORD GRAYSON.

